Military UHF mobile antennas in Pelican Cases

[Bud_Dude]

So there's a guy I know here in Escondido that's a bit of a junk dealer and comes across interesting things sometimes. This time he's found military antennas such as for a Humvee in beautiful Pelican boxes. The antennas while hell for stout are pretty meh performance wise... Good for 220-450MHz so ok for the 1.25m and 70cm ham bands (not that there's anyone on 1.25m...). And the antennas big and bad as they are provide only 3dB gain... like I said, meh... There's quite a selection of mounting hardware included, extension tubes, for the mounting base, angle brackets for the side of the vehicle, etc. The Pelican cases are probably the real find here, but I can't imagine who would want them or for what...

Everything I know is in this post and anyone interested should contact the owner/seller not me: Braden Stone 760-994-3703 / stonebraden@gmail.com
(That said I do have a few more pics and and antenna data sheet that I eventually found on line if more info is needed)

Four (4) complete sets in beautiful huge Pelican boxes are available:

• Each with two (2) RAMI model NTDR UHF vertical antennas 225 – 450MHz N-female connector
• Lots of mounting post adapters / extension tubes / bolts / nuts / misc hardware
• Fancy brand new looking polyethylene Pelican case with foam inserts for antennas.
  Case is 7’ long x 2’ wide x 1.5’ tall
  Top lifts off and is not hinged and has what looks to be 24 latches

There has been no mention of price, but probably very negotiable (especially if only interested in the antennas and not the cases… which may sell easy by themselves).

 

[badsamaritan]

Wow, flashback for me. I used to work on the NTDR radio back in my Army days and later at Raytheon. I can attest to how strong they are especially with that spring mounting base you can see in the picture. Those antennas take a beating every field problem. Army FEDLOG shows one costing $2800-ish.

Here's some specs on gain

 

[Bud_Dude]

Wow, flashback for me. I used to work on the NTDR radio back in my Army days and later at Raytheon. I can attest to how strong they are especially with that spring mounting base you can see in the picture. Those antennas take a beating every field problem. Army FEDLOG shows one costing $2800-ish.

Here's some specs on gain
View attachment 2433062

I'm amazed they're only $2800, maybe that's just for the antenna itself and not the full kit... The kits are beautiful, but I don't see any real practical use for them from a ham radio perspective.

 

[badsamaritan]

I don't think so either, plus without having access to the vendor if anything breaks you're probably out of luck for a long time. Weak point of those is at the base there is a horse shoe shaped spring the contacts the base, over many install/de-installs of the antenna it fatigues and you start having comms problems until it breaks. Then the whole thing is useless.

In the army I've seen those used as swords, jousting Lance's ( two idiots in Kevlar helmets, body armor and using shopping carts) broom handles, cattle prod, clothes line, instrument of capital punishment (caning) you name it. EPLRS had a similar antenna and the same things would happen.

 

[Tylerh84]

Man, those are nice. Only thing i would really have use for is the pelican case. Looks like a good deal for someone either way.